Vanessa Redgrave, CBE (born January 30, 1937) is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.

Redgrave was born in Greenwich, London, the daughter of actors Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson. She was educated at the Alice Ottley School, Worcester & Queen's Gate School, London before "coming out" as a debutante. Her late siblings, Lynn Redgrave and Corin Redgrave, were also acclaimed actors.
Redgrave's daughters, 'Natasha Richardson' (1963–2009) and 'Joely Richardson' (b. 1965) from her 1962–67 marriage to film director Tony Richardson, also built respected acting careers.

In 1967, the year she divorced her husband Tony Richardson, who left her for the French actress 'Jeanne Moreau', she became romantically involved with Italian actor 'Franco Nero' when they met on the set of Camelot. In 1969, they had a son, Carlo Gabriel Redgrave Sparanero (known professionally as Carlo Gabriel Nero), a screenwriter and director. After separating for many years, during which they both had relationships with other people, they reunited and married on December 31, 2006. Carlo Nero directed Redgrave in the cinematic adaptation of Wallace Shawn's play The Fever.

In 1967, Redgrave was made a Commander (CBE) of the Order of the British Empire. It was reported that she declined a damehood in 1999.

From 1971 to 1986, she had a long-term relationship with actor 'Timothy Dalton', with whom she had starred in the film Mary, Queen of Scots.

Within 14 months in 2009-10, she lost both a daughter and her two younger siblings. Her daughter Natasha Richardson (died March 18, 2009) from a traumatic brain injury caused by a skiing accident. Her brother, Corin Redgrave (died April 6, 2010) and her sister, Lynn Redgrave (died May 2, 2010).

Redgrave rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning both the Tony and Olivier Awards. On screen, she has starred in more than 80 films; including Blowup (1966), Isadora (1968), Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), The Devils (1971), Julia (1977), The Bostonians (1984), Howards End (1992), Mission: Impossible (1996) and Atonement (2007). Redgrave was proclaimed by Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams as "the greatest living actress of our times," and she remains the only British actress ever to win the Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Cannes, Golden Globe, and the Screen Actors Guild awards. She was also the recipient of the 2010 BAFTA Fellowship "in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film".

In 2004, Redgrave joined the second season cast of the hit FX series Nip/Tuck, portraying Dr. Erica Noughton, the mother of Julia McNamara, who is played by her real-life daughter 'Joely Richardson'. She also made appearances in the third and sixth seasons. In 2006, Redgrave starred opposite Peter O'Toole in the acclaimed film Venus. In 2009, Redgrave starred in the BBC remake of The Day of the Triffids, with her daughter Joely. She was next seen in Letters to Juliet opposite her husband 'Franco Nero'.

More recently she starred with 'Terence Stamp' and 'Gemma Arterton' in the British comedy-drama Song for Marion and with 'Forest Whittaker' in The Butler, directed by Lee Daniels. She will also appear with 'Steve Carell' and 'Channing Tatum' in the upcoming Foxcatcher.

TRIVIA:

When director 'David Hare (I)' (qv) and producers of "The Year of Magical Thinking" were thinking of an actress to cast in their one-woman show, they could only think of one name, and that was Redgrave. They said that only she could tackle the range of emotion created by the character.

Refused to accept any money for her role as Anne Boleyn in _A Man for All Seasons (1966)_ (qv).

Voted by People magazine (May 8th 2006) as one of the 100 most beautiful people.

(February 1997) Claims to be on hit-list of neo-Nazi group Combat 18.

She was awarded the 1985 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for her performance in The Seagull.

She allegedly refused the British honour of Dame of the order of the British Empire in 1999.

Mother-in-law of actor 'Liam Neeson' (qv).

Her three children are actresses 'Natasha Richardson (I)' (qv) and 'Joely Richardson' (qv) from her marriage to 'Tony Richardson (I)' (qv) and 'Carlo Gabriel Nero' (qv) with Italian actor 'Franco Nero' (qv).